Visit the Padilla Bay Estuary!

by Taffy
(Fort Jones, CA)

Padilla Bay Estuary is located in Skagit County in Washington State. It is a wonderful field trip for homeschooling families. They have an interpretive center that includes lots of hands-on activities, a short movie and enthusiastic guides. But the best part is being led out onto the mudflats at low tide. Kids and mud are a favorite combination & you can let them explore to their heart's content out there.

Learning about estuaries is fascinating & they also provide worksheets and coloring pages to round out your day. These are located on their website- free of charge. (www.padillabay.gov) In fact, all of their classes are free! They even have presentations specifically for the little ones (ages 3-5) and also on up to adults.

Pack a lunch and after hosing off, walk the nature trail located behind the interpretive center to find owl pellets a-plenty. I've never seen such an abundance in one place before. Padilla Bay is a gem among destinations. It isn't rigid or stuffy; it's fun, silly, informative and amazing. It's also free, you can't get better than that!